The present invention relates to a tool for machining a workpiece, incorporating a holder having a locating opening arranged at the end face, and incorporating a cutting head having at least one cutting element arranged on the workpiece-side end. In particular, the present invention relates to a ball race milling cutter.
During the milling of joint pins and hubs, special tools, what are referred to as ball race milling cutters, are usually used. These ball race milling cutters mill at the end face at various engagement depths and machining depths, for which purpose the ball race milling cutter is normally set at 20°. The races partly correspond to cylinder cutouts, but they are also partly curved, which necessitates very flexurally rigid tools. Milling is carried out in both soft and hardened materials. Depending on the intended application, various tool types are currently used. Such ball race milling cutters are described, for example, in DE 199 56 592 A1 and DE 199 45 360 A1.
In the known ball race milling cutters, usually a plurality of cutting elements, e.g. indexable cutting inserts, are arranged in corresponding recesses at the workpiece-side end of the holder (often also designated as parent body). For this purpose, the cutting elements have a central bore, through which the respective cutting element is screwed to the holder by means of a clamping screw. To this end, the holder has a corresponding tapped hole.
Irrespective of the fact that it is sometimes difficult, depending on the installation position of the tool in the corresponding machine tool, to exchange the individual cutting elements in the state in which they are still clamped in place in the machine tool, a bore running centrally through the cutting element also means, in principle, a reduction in the rigidity and strength of the cutting element. In addition, the length of the one or more cutting edges on the cutting element is limited toward the top as a result.